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What's your limit?? (AC)

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7K views 45 replies 40 participants last post by  lparker 
#1 ·
What's your limit or the threshold it has to hit before you turn the air conditioner on in your house?

Do you wait for a certain date? Do you wait until it hits a certain temperature in your house?
 
#2 ·
Dates are pointless. If it's too hot, it's too hot. If it's too cold, it's too cold. I'm not going to be miserable in my own house.

It's not a temp, it's how it feels. Eighty-five, sunny, and humid is a lot different than eighty-five, overcast, and dry.

I guess what I'm getting at is I play it by ear. If the house is too hot and/or humid, I'll turn on the AC unless it's late in the day, since it usually cools off here at night.
 
#3 ·
I also play it by ear. I can take it if I feel hot and sticky, if it is already late afternoon, and I know it will be cooling off soon, if it is already hot in the morning, on the a/c goes. I can tolerate high, dry temps better than lower, more humid temps though.
 
#4 · (Edited)
It has to hit 100 degrees before I'll turn on the AC. I'll use ceiling fans before that but my hard core / ain't no way it's coming on, is 100 degrees.

Of course, that takes some strategy - open windows at night and close mid-morning, use shades to keep the sun out and no baking or serious cooking. I also live alone so I can hang out in a sports bra and boxers if need be.

Need to edit per someone's post - I live in Phoenix. Arizona. Where 115 degrees is not unheard of for weeks on end. We have central AC, I have an older block (brick) home that has had new windows and outside doors and I have a ceiling fan in every room, except the bathrooms. When it gets hot (and it does) it does not cool off at night. Night time lows might be 95 degrees. And although we're touted as "it's a dry heat" we typically hit monsoon season (50% humidity at a minimum) by the 4th of July and it stays that way until the end of September.
 
#6 ·
We have never had a air conditioner.

Years ago, we just opened the screened windows, and used fans to move the air around.
When we added on our porch deck, we now have a nice extended roof over the deck, and it really helps with shade. We still use fans but only if really necessary.
 
#7 ·
If it were up to me I'd never turn it on hehe. Personally I'd rather have fans on in the house. During the day I'm home alone and bf is at work so i typically turn our oscilating fan on in whatever room i'm in and I keep all the windows open. It has to get reallly really hot in the house for me to want the AC on.
 
#8 ·
Our old house had crank out windows so we couldn't have one. New place has "normal" windows so we'll probably get a small one for the bedroom. So to answer your question, when the humidity is going to wreck my chances of a good nights sleep, it will go on. During the day we'll suffer. :hot:
 
#10 ·
What's your limit or the threshold it has to hit before you turn the air conditioner on in your house?
Couldn't resist this.............must be pretty high, as I don't have
any AC.

But then..........don't live where there is high humidity and have a fan in every room. The most that I would have to run AC......THE MOST.......would be maybe two weeks on a really hot summer. And we haven't seen one lately!!! (the reason I haven't put it in)

YOU GUYS ARE GETTING THE HEAT.............we are still freezing our butts off here!!!!!! It is like the heat backed up to the EDGE of Montana.........and then stopped............and Montana NEVER warms up before we do............:ack" UNFAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
#14 ·
We have two room a/c units. We only use them when the weather is close to or at 100F. It really doesn't get that hot here though, usually only a few days out of the summer (think like four tops).

We usually only run them during the day because it cools off here at night. We also have ceiling fans in every room and we use those mainly. We do the open the house up at night and close it before it starts heating up thing.

As for location, we are on the coast side of Portland (ie, to the west). I know that helps to keep us cooler also.
 
#15 ·
we turned ours on last week, we've been in the 80's in Oklahoma. I am going to be comfortable, like someone else said, the temp can be low but if the humidity is high the AC comes on.
 
#17 ·
well I am in KY the other day my house thermstat said 80 so I turned on the air....I keep mine set on 72 my friends set theirs on 68-65 no way.. we have ceiling fans down stairs that we use, I keep the shades drawn and I shut off the air and leave my windows open when possible..

In the winter I keep my heat on 70 grandma likes 72 so it is a battle..put quilts on the couch keep shades closed to keep heat in and old windows get plastic on them and i use door drafts all year long.. and when they get dirty instead of rplacing them I wash them air and reuse..

I over answered i know
 
#19 ·
Here in Florida the humidity is pretty high most of the time so usually 79 is my limit. The only time I let it get in the 80's is when the humidity is lower and it is later in the day.

I try to resist turning it on until May, I will break down if it gets unbearable I would just like if possible to have it off 6 months because I know there is gonna be 6 months were there is no way I will turn it off!!

This year we only had the heat on for a few hours and that was only for maybe four days. The heater here is never really an issue, I will pile on the blankets.
 
#20 ·
We have central air, new windows, etc. I've been opening my pretty new windows as much as possible, but if it hits 80 degrees in here, I pop my air conditioner on.

Ring now it is down to 76 and that is keeping us comfortable. I figure when Moo wakes up from nap completely saturated in sweat that we should probably take cool down measures.

As for location-we are in Iowa.
 
#21 ·
I don't turn the AC on until we hit 100 degrees outside! Inside stays pretty cool, we have ceiling fans in most rooms and hardwood or tile floors throughout the house. We do get really hot here in So Cal but we don't get the humidity like a lot of you do. Dry heat is much easier to take, atleast I think it is!
 
#23 ·
80-85 degrees inside depending on the humidity. I'd like to get shades for my windows that go on the outside. I figure that having shades on the inside is like locking the barn after the horse got out...the heats already in the house...better to block it before it gets through the windows.
 
#25 ·
For me it all depends on the humidity which can be really awful in July and August. I can usually handle having the fans on in the morning but usually have to cool things off mid-day during these months. Also, I need to have the AC on when I go to sleep otherwise I will be up all night.
 
#26 ·
We aren't stingy with heat or A/C. Our kids have allergies so we cannot do open windows. We live in Indiana and had a very warm winter. Kept our heat at about 68 degrees and it was comfy. We have had our AC on for at least a week- which is really odd for around here. It has been about 80 every day. We keep it set about 72- might turn it down a degree or two now and then. We also have ceiling fans so it stays cooler than 72. More like 68 probably. We are all about comfort. There are other ways we are frugal, but that isn't one.
 
#27 ·
~We're in South Jersey which is generally mild but very humid. My point of irritation is 84* inside the house.
I may never have to run the ac in CO. The humidity there is super low and the temps are generally mild. I'll probably adjust to it though and then 78* will start to feel uncomfortable to me. :laugh: ~
 
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